You are listening to an HPRC paced breathing exercise. This training will guide you through optimal timing of your inhales and exhales to feel more calm and alert. Learning this stress-management skill can help you both prepare just prior to intense situations and as a brief recovery just after. This style of breathing has a direct effect on your physiology and situational awareness. Learn more in HPRC’s article “Vary your heart rate to perform your best.”
In a few moments, you will hear a tune, and what you need to do is inhale when you hear the pitch of the tune go up and exhale as you hear the tone go down. In this manner, you’re going to be guided to breathe in for about 4 seconds and out for about 6 seconds. Be sure to fill your belly with air rather than having your chest rise. Inflate your belly completely, like a balloon, and then deflate it completely. Be sure that on this long exhale you breathe out slowly so you exhale air all the way until the end of the 6 seconds.
Practice this skill regularly, and you’ll find over time that you form good habits, just like after you regularly practice any other skill. In a few moments, you’ll be guided with the tune for a few breaths at this more optimal pace. As you hear the tone go up, breathe in, and as you hear it go down, exhale.
[Music plays]
Notice any difference with how this feels in your body? Just a few breaths can provide brief recovery, leaving you calm and alert. More time can have even more impact. Experiment with it, and build awareness of what works best for you. The second recording contains 6 minutes of breathing music and can be downloaded for longer—even repeated—trainings. You can learn to use this skill anywhere, anytime, to proactively deal with stress or for recovery, even without being guided through it. For more resources, keep checking out HPRC-online.org.